Process of treating quills and product



No. 770,484. PATENTED SEPT. 20, 1904. v

E. K. WARREN. PROCESS OF TREATING QUILLS AND PRODUCT.

APPLIGATION FILED FEB.20, 1901.

N0 MODEL.

Witgesses:

UNTTED STATES Patented September 20, 1904.

PATENT OEEicE.

PROCESS OF TREATING QUILLS AND PRODUCT.

QPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 770,484, datedSeptember 20, 1904.

Application filed February 20, 1901. Serial No. 48,043. (No specimens.)

To to whom, it Duty concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD K. WARREN, a citizen of the United States,residing at the village of Threeoaks, in the county of Berrien and Stateof Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inProcesses of Treating Quills and Product, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to an improved process of treating quills and tothe improved product. The objects of the invention are to avoid much ofthe labor that has heretofore been expended in the manufacture ofstiffening material from quills and to produce a satisfactory and strongstiffening material with a minimum amount of labor. I accomplish thisresult by the processes described in the following specification.

The invention is clearly defined, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings I show a single quill treated according tomy invention.

Figure 1 is a view of a quill with the plumage stripped off and the endsclipped. Fig. 2 is an end view of the dies for the press. Fig. 3 showsthe improved blade. Fig. 4 shows the blade partially reduced to fiberwhere it is desired to make the same into fiber after it has beentreated in this way.

In carrying out my invention 1 strip or trim the plumage from thequills, saving the enamel portion. This is soaked and heated until itsentire substance, including the pith within, is softened and reduced toa semiplastic condition by the heat. While the quill is thus hot andsoft it is placed between suitable forming-dies, as A A, (see Fig. 2,)and is put under heavy pressure by any suitable means, as by a screw orby hydraulic power. The quill is allowed to set or cool under pressure,when it will be found to remain in the form of a thin flat blade ofgreat resiliency. This is all that is necessary to do where shortstifi'eners are required. lVhere a long stiffener is required, theseparts can be spliced together and cemented or otherwise securedtogether, or the blade can be reduced to a fiber (see at B, Fig. 4) andthese fibers can be assembled together in the usual way in whichfeatherbone and similar stifi'eners are now manufactured. I havedescribed the process fully for accomplishing this result. By applyingheat carefully and under proper regulation the soaking may be omitted.The quill can be compressed between perfectly fiat surfaces without theaid of the forming-dies A A, though these dies are preferred becausethey give the stiffener an even width from end to end.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The process of treating the quill portion of a feather consisting insoaking and heating it and its contained pith until softened and thensubjecting the same to heavy pressure until fixed, whereby the whole isflattened and the pith compressed into a firm substance.

2. The process of treating the quill portion of a feather consisting inheating it and its contained pith until softened and then subjectin gthe same to heavy pressure until fixed, whereby the whole is flattenedand the pith compressed into a firm substance.

3. The process of treating the quill portion of a feather consisting insoaking and heating it and its contained pith until softened and thensubjecting the same to heavy pressure whereby the whole is flattened andthe pith compressed into a firm substance.

4. A stiffening material consisting of the quill part of a feather andits contained pith, compressed into a flat blade.

5. A stiffening material consisting of quill substance having the enameland pith portions compacted together.

In witness whereof I have hereunto setmy hand and seal in the presenceof two witnesses.

EDWARD K. WARREN. [L. s]

Witnesses:

MORRIS Gr. MoGrAwN, MARY A. DAVIDSON.

